Mass ID Access Bill

If you don’t have an ID, you cannot access resources necessary to overcome homelessness, including applying for housing and food assistance. Why is this? It is because the state imposes arbitrary, unfair hurdles to obtaining ID, which are almost impossible for homeless people to meet: needing to have a permanent home address to show residence and paying a $25 fee.

The Mass ID Access Bill (Senate Bill 2251 and House Bills 3388/3360) would take two simple actions to make getting an ID easier for unhoused people:

  1. Create a waiver for ID fees
  2. Allow people who do not have a permanent home address to instead show residency via documentation from homelessness services providers or state services agencies

This should be easy. The MA Senate has passed this bill unanimously in four consecutive sessions. However, it has been held up in the MA House Ways and Means Committee for over a year without explanation. We need the bill to be advanced out of Ways and Means and brought to a vote of the House.

Take Action!

Send the below emails to House Ways and Means Chair Michlewitz, Speaker Mariano, House Majority Leader Moran, and your local representative.

Model Text for Email to Representative Michlewitz, Speaker Mariano, and House Majority Leader Moran

Send to: Aaron.M.Michlewitz@mahouse.gov, Ronald.Mariano@mahouse.gov, Michael.Moran@mahouse.gov

Dear Representatives Michlewitz, Mariano, and Moran:

I am writing to ask for the House Committee on Ways and Means to favorably advance the Mass ID Access Bill (“An Act to provide identification to youth and adults experiencing homelessness”), without amending it to water down the benefits it provides.

As you’re already aware, Senate Bill 2251 has passed the Senate four times, most recently via unanimous vote in July 2023, and referred to House Ways and Means, where it has been consistently stalled by committee members. In April 2024, the Committee on Transportation reported out its House companions, House Bill 3388, accompanied by House Bill 3360, favorably and referred it to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

This bill would:

  • Establish a fee waiver process for youth and adults experiencing homelessness seeking standard Mass IDs
  • Create a process for individuals experiencing homelessness to apply for standard Mass IDs if they cannot meet the existing criteria by allowing ID applicants who are experiencing homelessness to submit residency documentation from providers of homelessness and/or youth services and state agencies

If you don’t have an ID, you cannot access resources necessary to overcome homelessness. ID is required for a broad range of life activities, including applying for housing, the most important thing for unhoused people, as well as accessing essential social services.

Given the districts you represent, I would expect you are well aware of the need to help people overcome homelessness. Remember that you represent everyone in your district, housed and unhoused. Continuing to ignore this bill suggest to your constituents that you care about them only so long as they don’t fall victim to the unmitigated housing crisis in Massachusetts.

Please reply to let me know the actions you plan to take to move this bill forward following this unacceptable period of inaction.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Model Text For Email to Your MA House Representative

(Find your House representative and their email address here)

Dear Representative [__]:

I am a resident of your district. I am writing to ask you to pressure Representative Michlewitz, as Chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, House Majority Leader Moran, and Speaker Mariano to get the Mass ID Access Bill (“An Act to provide identification to youth and adults experiencing homelessness”) advanced out of House Ways and Means to a vote, and for you to vote favorably on the bill once it advances.

Senate Bill 2251 has passed the Senate four times, most recently via unanimous vote in July 2023, and referred to House Ways and Means, where it has been consistently stalled by committee members. In April 2024, the Committee on Transportation reported out its House companions, House Bill 3388, accompanied by House Bill 3360, favorably and referred it to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

If you are not already aware, this bill would:

  • Establish a fee waiver process for youth and adults experiencing homelessness seeking standard Mass IDs
  • Create a process for individuals experiencing homelessness to apply for standard Mass IDs if they cannot meet the existing criteria by allowing ID applicants who are experiencing homelessness to submit residency documentation from providers of homelessness and/or youth services and state agencies

If you don’t have an ID, you cannot access resources necessary to overcome homelessness. ID is required for a broad range of life activities, including applying for housing, the most important thing for unhoused people, as well as accessing essential social services.

Sixteen states and the District of Columbia already offer free or reduced fee IDs for people experiencing homelessness. Massachusetts should not be behind the times on this, especially as the unmitigated housing crisis in the Commonwealth accelerates the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

Please reply to let me know the actions you plan to take to move this bill forward.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and action on this critical issue.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]